Over the weekend, Ubisoft put out the system requirements for Star Wars Outlaws, which is set to release on August 30. It’s a feature-packed release on PC, with support for DLSS 3.5 and the latest versions of XeSS and FSR 3, as well as unique aspect ratios. But the system requirements go beyond just listing some components and calling it a day. They’re actually useful.
Like most modern AAA releases, Ubisoft provided four tiers for the system requirements. And also like most modern AAA releases, each of those tiers has a resolution, frame rate, and quality setting linked to them. The critical change is that the system requirements also list the setting for the upscaler. In games like Alan Wake 2 or the upcoming Black Myth: Wukong, we get a slate of hardware recommendations, but it’s hard to know how big of a factor tools like DLSS and FSR are playing when it comes to performance estimates.
Star Wars Outlaws does away with the guesswork, and in the process, provides a much more realistic set of requirements given the features available in the game. In 2024, it’s not as simple as checking your CPU and GPU against what the developer recommends. Tools like DLSS completely change the performance dynamic, so it’s great to see Ubisoft and developer Massive Entertainment lay out a clear view of performance ahead of the game’s release.
There are a few other additions to the system requirements I’ve never seen before. The game calls for 16GB of RAM, but the system requirements specify that it needs to be in a dual-channel configuration. I can’t think of the last platform that used anything other than dual-channel memory, but it’s an important note nonetheless. Even in 2024, installing RAM in the incorrect slots is still one of the most common PC building mistakes.
In addition, the system requirements call out the Intel Arc A750, which meets the minimum requirements. It’s great to see Intel included, but the system requirements specifically say that the card needs Resizeable BAR (ReBAR) turned on. As you can read in our Intel Arc A770 and A750 review, ReBAR significantly influences performance on Intel’s GPUs. As is the case with the dual-channel memory callout, this note can guide you in the right direction if you meet the requirements, but aren’t seeing the performance you expected.
Ultimately, these larger system requirement tables are about setting proper expectations ahead of a game’s release — especially when a game is packing a bunch of PC tech like Star Wars Outlaws happens to be. Listing the upscaler quality and making notes about RAM configuration paint a clearer picture of how the developer arrived at its recommended requirements, and hopefully we see more of that in games moving forward.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Google DeepMind's AI world model Genie 4 can now build interactive worlds that you can explore and reshape as they run. It also generates ambient sounds, music, and dialogue that respond to your actions.
The new world model builds on Genie 3 with improved realism, more natural human movement, and better simulations of real-world physics. It could eventually help with everything from game development to training robots.
Apple has an incredible talent for making me admire its products while simultaneously questioning what on earth it's thinking with the pricing. This isn't even something as bizarre as a monitor stand, but the audacity for starting a new laptop lineup from $2,000 doesn't surprise me.
The newly announced 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 is just the latest to showcase this. The funny thing is, I already know that it's going to be a reliable workstation. You get a powerful new 2nm M6 processor, a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 24 hours of battery life. We were impressed by the M5 MacBook Air, so the high-end M6 powered MacBook Pro definitely won't let us down.